glowing stone, while the Earl, with his arms folded on his broad
breast, stood hushed and motionless. The sorceress recommenced:

"Mighty dead, I revere thee,
Dim-shaped from the cloud,
With the light of thy deeds
For the web of thy shroud.

As Odin consulted
Mimir's skull hollow-eyed, [182]
Odin's heir comes to seek
In the Phantom a guide."

As the Morthwyrtha ceased, the fire crackled loud, and from its flame
flew one of the fragments of bark to the feet of the sorceress:--the
runic letters all indented with sparks.

The sorceress uttered a loud cry, which, despite his courage and his
natural strong sense, thrilled through the Earl's heart to his marrow
and bones, so appalling was it with wrath and terror; and while she
gazed aghast on the blazing letters, she burst forth:

"No warrior art thou,
And no child of the tomb;
I know thee, and shudder,
Great Asa of Doom.

Thou constrainest my lips
And thou crushest my spell;
Bright Son of the Giant